QUALIFYING: Santos Starts Fast At TIS
Debut In The Mystic Missile Modified Nets Thompson Pole Record
Thompson, CT — Bobby Santos wasted no time in making his presence known as the new driver of the No. 4 “Mystic Missile” Modified as he set the track qualifying record Saturday at Thompson International Speedway and earned his first career NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Coors Light Pole Award.
Santos, who was fastest in practice earlier in the day, turned a fast lap of 18.418 seconds (122.163 mph) in qualifying for Sunday’s 150-lap season-opener. That lap surpassed the previous Whelen Modified Tour qualifying record at Thompson set by Eric Beers at 18.429 seconds (122.080 mph) prior to the 2008 World Series.
Santos, from Franklin, Mass., has competed in the Whelen Modified Tour part-time since 2004 and landed his first full-time ride this offseason in the No. 4 after the departure of 2009 Tour titlist Donny Lia to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Santos had 29 career starts entering this week and his lone Whelen Modified Tour victory came at Thompson in 2007.
Chris Pasteryak was the second-fastest qualifier on Saturday at 18.470 seconds (121.819 mph) followed by Ron Silk (18.514/121.530), Mike Stefanik (18.596/120.994) and Burt Myers (18.603/120.948).
Ryan Preece, Doug Coby, Ted Christopher, Rowan Pennink and Eric Berndt rounded out the top 10 qualifiers.
Following qualifying, a redraw of the top-10 cars saw Santos also draw the No. 1 spot. He will be joined in the front row on Sunday by Coby, and the second row will consist of Stefanik and Berndt.
The 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will officially begin with Sunday’s Icebreaker. The race is set to go green at approximately 3:15 p.m. For ticket information, please visit Thompson’s official Web site.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR